Morton Home / Pole Building Home / Barndominium

12 years ago

Not sure what to call the house, I've read so many different names for them. But basically, we're looking at building a Morton building home. We'd like input, this is a drawing I came up with, so I understand it might be a bit off on measurements (I had started messing with the depth- 36' or 40', can't decide). Layout work? We've never built. From reading a lot of forums, I'm hoping we can be under $75/sq ft. We don't need granite, nothing fancy. But don't want to skimp on things like doors, windows, cabinets. Is this do-able? Thoughts? I was thinking a 10' ceiling (minimum) on the main level. Is there room for rooms in a loft with that? At first I had the loft bath in between the beds, wasn't sure that would allow enough space for decent bedrooms. Thinking teenagers in a few years. Bi-level roof with two cupolas on each side of the roof (because of the bedroom on the back side). Any help or opinions is appreciated. I'll link what we're hoping the end result to look like...something similar.

Here's a few things about us that might help understand our layout and what we're needing:
Ã¯Â¿Â½four kids (young- three girls, one boy)
Ã¯Â¿Â½looking for something we can grow old in (one level for master bed/bath/laundry, etc)
Ã¯Â¿Â½live in KS (tornadoes!)
Ã¯Â¿Â½would like walkout basement, but guessing it's cheaper to build rooms in the existing loft area (utilize the space) and put home on slab.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Featured Answer

chicagoans

12 years ago

Caveat: I'm not an architect or draftsperson so I'm hoping one of them chimes in. These are just first glance thoughts...

Your foyer is huge and seems like wasted space. I would add a closet there and reorient your stairs so that they run between the foyer and the dining area (I'm assuming that's a table between the foyer and the bath/closet.) I'd have the bottom stair toward the kitchen/FR, then the empty space under the top of the stairs can be used for a foyer closet.

Small item but I'd move the door on the downstairs bath to the left so that it opens across from the linen closet rather than toward the kitchen.

If you're in a tornado-prone area, do you need a basement? Or other type of safe room?

I think you mean dormer rather than cupola; your picture shows a cupola but if you have bedrooms on the second floor you'll need dormers with windows for egress and light.

Your open space is big. Not sure the dimensions but you'll need to think about how you'll support the roof and also the floor that's over the kitchen and dining area (I don't see any walls or other kind of support for that on the first floor plan.)

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Comments (7)

m5askqu5
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the tips- that's what I'm looking for, even the small details. Yes, I meant dormer. We were thinking of a safe room in the garage area if no basement (yes, we're right in tornado alley). I agree with the entry being large. I like the idea of moving the stairs. It is wasted space, wasn't sure how to adjust so it wasn't. A closet under the stairs sounds great!
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User
12 years ago
You need a minimum of 14' ceilings to have loft bedrooms. 16'-20 would be better. You can't have below 7' ceiling height in any habitable room , plus you are required to have large enough windows for emergency escape.

You aren't going to see any real cost savings with your plan over conventional construction. You're not talking about building a barn residence. You're talking about building a conventional house with a metal exterior. $100 a foot minimum, no frills.
m5askqu5
Original Author
12 years ago
I got an estimate from a local builder of these type of buildings (off-brand to Morton) and he quoted me $32/sq ft for the building/windows/doors/cement (dried-in with Andersen windows/doors) and said we'd be right around $75/sq ft by the time we finish the interior. Why is this not possible? It's a basic rectangular shape, nothing fancy, simple open floor plan. We're in KS too, less expensive to build than some areas.
m5askqu5
Original Author
12 years ago
I got an estimate from a local builder of these type of buildings (off-brand to Morton) and he quoted me $32/sq ft for the building/windows/doors/cement (dried-in with Andersen windows/doors) and said we'd be right around $75/sq ft by the time we finish the interior. Why is this not possible? It's a basic rectangular shape, nothing fancy, simple open floor plan. We're in KS too, less expensive to build than some areas.
dawnk82
12 years ago
My husband and I have viewed some morton type homes before, actually thought about buying one. For bedroom up above, that is going to depend more on your rafter system used, if it will allow the head room you need. I am assuming this is going to be on a slab. We toured one home, that had a 5' deep x 6'x 4' plumbing access underneath the kitchen/bath area, they also used it as tornado shelter. Also, slabs can be stained, sealed and finished in many decorative ways. On your plan, I would move your mud room, bath to the back side of the kitchen to consolidate plumping.
Amy Smith
9 years ago
Hi m5askqu5,

I was wondering if you ever built our Morton Building/Pole Barn and how it turned out. I also live in Kansas and am interested in doing the same thing.

Thank you!